The office desk is becoming the 'in' place to eat, as the idea of taking a proper lunch break moves out of fashion, according to a survey.

A report from Reuters Business Insight suggests that throughout Europe, the lunchtime meal is being reduced to a hasty sandwich as longer working hours and increased snacking take over.

The UK is among the leaders of the trend with working lunches, and the accompanying wine bill, becoming a thing of the past.

"More hectic lifestyles and longer working hours have compressed the lunch break of many office workers into little more than a half-hour 'pit stop'," said Daniel Lord, author of the 'Future Lunch Solutions' report.

Tasty diversion

The good news is that lunch is not being forgotten altogether. But as snacking throughout the day rises, so the emphasis shifts from the 'lunch' itself to the 'break' it offers.

"Lunch....is increasingly viewed as a moment, however brief, for office workers to treat themselves as a reward following a stressful morning or as a diversion from office boredom," said Mr Lord.

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Reuters Business Insight

Regional differences in culture are played out in the lunch hour. The French, for example, still frequently choose an alcoholic drink to accompany a meal whereas in the UK, this trend is waning.